International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Mothers who choose not to breastfeed are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Breastfeeding helps new mothers shift some of the fat which remains around the abdomen post-pregnancy - one of the factors behind the condition - according to researchers from the US University of Pittsburgh.

Women who take decongestants during pregnancy are less at risk of having their child prematurely.

According to researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health in the US, women who took the over-the-counter remedy during their second or third trimester had a 58 per cent lower risk of pre-term delivery.

Babies who are six months old become stressed out when they do not get the attention they think they should, according to a new study.

When they are ignored by their mother for as little time as two minutes, levels of the stress hormone cortisol rise and they are high even a day later because the babies are worried the same thing will happen again, Canadian researchers found.

Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI) is becoming more commonplace, it has been suggested.

Jason Warriner, clinical director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity which works to improve sexual health in the UK, said increased testing within the community is having a positive effect.

Multiple births are the "single biggest risk" of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, for both mothers and babies, it has been suggested.

Young women under the age of 25 are most at risk from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to experts.

They are "particularly vulnerable" to picking them up, a Health Protection Agency (HPA) study has shown.

Taking aspirin during pregnancy could reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, according to new NHS guidelines.

A small dose taken by women during gestation can help to prevent high blood pressure, which can lead to the complication.

Nicotine - the addictive part of cigarettes - may cause breast cancer tumours to grow, according to a new study.

This is the first time nicotine itself has been linked to breast cancer, even though it was previously associated with several other cancer types.

A hormone which is produced during pregnancy could help relieve the symptoms of heart failure, according to a new study.

Called relaxin, the hormone loosens tendons and widens blood vessels in pregnant women, as well as helping boost heart function in order to cope with the additional weight and blood needed for the unborn baby, reports the UK Telegraph.

Women who donate their eggs to help couples who can't conceive naturally may receive payments of £800 under new proposals being mooted.

Due to shortages in supply, the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is considering increasing the payments to donors.